Police break up illegal rally, dozens injured<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Dozens of people were injured and 12 were arrested as some
\n1,500 people who staged an anti-U.S. rally in front of the House
\nof Representatives building clashed with police officers on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
The protesters were members of the Islamic Defenders' Front
\n(FPI), the Surakarta Youth Islamic Front (FPII), Laskar Jundullah
\n(God's Army) and Hisbullah Front (God's Party) from Jakarta,
\nSurakarta, Tangerang and Lampung.<\/p>\n
They arrived in several cars and motorcycles in front of the
\nHouse building compound at about 10 a.m. Protesting the U.S.
\nattack against Afghanistan, and demanded the government to sever
\ndiplomatic relations with the U.S.<\/p>\n
The police, however, ordered them to disperse because Monday
\nwas a national holiday.<\/p>\n
Chief of City Police's VIP security division Sr. Comr. Aqil
\nsaid that Law 9\/1999 on public gatherings, bans demonstrations on
\nnational holidays.<\/p>\n
The clash started after the police fired warning shots which
\nwere ignored.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of police officers then began to fire tear gas, water
\nand blanks at the demonstrators, whereupon they fled.<\/p>\n
The officers proceeded to disperse the demonstrators, who ran
\nto the Slipi area, and pushed them back with clubs. A police
\nofficer reportedly ran into some protesters with his motorcycle.<\/p>\n
The police also struck several journalists, including two from
\nMetro TV and Indosiar television stations, as well as one from
\nReuters, seizing their film and damaging their cameras.<\/p>\n
A Reuters' car and six others belonging to the protesters as
\nwell as five motorcycles were also damaged by the officers.<\/p>\n
The situation calmed down as the demonstrators headed to the
\nFPI headquarters on Jl. Petamburan, Central Jakarta, at about
\nnoon.<\/p>\n
But FPI members then started to attack police and military
\nmembers. Two military members who happened to pass by the street
\non their motorcycles, were beaten, but they managed to escape.<\/p>\n
After that incident, some 500 police officers were then
\ndeployed to the scene as the demonstrators continued to conduct
\nraids on all the vehicles passing their area.<\/p>\n
Tension was heightened as police closed the road in front of
\nthe headquarters and insisted that non-Jakarta FPI members, who
\nhad arrived here on Saturday night, return home.<\/p>\n
Some 50 military riot officers were also deployed to the scene
\nwhile discussions between police and the FPI was conducted.<\/p>\n
The officers left at about 4 p.m. after FPI members agreed to
\nstop their attacks.<\/p>\n
City Police chief Insp. Sofjan Jacoeb told reporters that
\nstern action was taken because the demonstrators had broken the
\nlaw.<\/p>\n
\"If they want to conduct a rally again, it's okay. But they
\nshould not try to occupy the House building,\" he warned.<\/p>\n
He apologized for the damages caused by the officers and
\npromised to compensate journalists for losses incurred in the
\nmelee.<\/p>\n
The head of FPI, Habib Rizieq Husein said he would sue the
\npolice for breaking up the protest, claiming that he had a permit
\nto conduct a two-month non-stop demonstration.<\/p>\n
Minister of Religious Affairs Said Aqil Al-Munawar visited the
\nFPI headquarters at about 5 p.m. to meet Rizieq and promised to
\nlisten to their needs.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-break-up-illegal-rally-dozens-injured-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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